Monday, 11 August 2014

Police complaint update

Dear all

First (Glasgow) Complaint
In the last post we gave you the police response to our complaint regarding the events surrounding our protest at SNP Spring conference in Aberdeen on Saturday 12th April. Effectively they dismissed all aspects of our complaint. We then referred the matter to the Police Investigations Review Committee.

PIRC wrote to Police Service of Scotland and asked for all the papers so they could conduct their review. The Professional Standards Department of Police Scotland contacted us to say that having looked at it again they could identify some gaps or deficiencies in their response and would we be willing to let them look at it again. Being reasonable people, we agreed to that and this process is taking place now. We look forward to hearing from them in this regard and we'll keep you posted.

Second (Glasgow) Complaint
This complaint, which relates to the interference by the Licensing Division of the PSS based at London Road, Glasgow into an event which FAC was organising is currently being investigated.

An FoI request associated with the complaint which sought to get to the bottom of who instructed this interference and how they came to know about an event which was not publicised has been submitted and a response received. The response cited 3 separate reasons for not providing the 3 pieces of information we requested. A review has now been requested and we will keep you posted about that too.

A complaint to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal has been submitted today to try to ascertain if the police are intercepting the calls of at least one FAC organiser and whether this is how they obtained information relating to the events behind both the first and second (Glasgow) complaints.